Orientation: Talent management is one of the most important and key strategic issues facing managers in the South African (SA) higher education sector.Research purpose: The study aimed to establish talent management challenges at one selected SA public higher education institution (HEI) which offers contact tuition in the Western Cape.Motivation for the study: Emerging trends show talent management has since presented unique sets of challenges in the SA higher education sector. SA needs to attract and retain academic talent to reach target levels of education and skills development and also ensure tertiary institutions accomplish their visions and missions.Research approach/design and method: We conducted the study using the interpretivist research paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were applied to a purposive sample of 7 human resource (HR) professionals from one selected HEI in the Western Cape. Content analysis was used for data analysis.Main findings: We established that workforce planning, compensation and rewards, training and development, succession planning, recruitment, selection, and performance management were negatively affecting the talent management practices of the selected HEI.Practical/managerial implications: HR professionals can use the study findings as a basis for understanding talent management challenges in a selected HEI and what causes these challenges.Contribution/value-add: The study establishes an insight into the talent management challenges of a selected HEI and provides reasons for what causes them. It also made several recommendations to the institution in order to solve the talent management challenges.

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